Who Will Be Christmas Number One in 2017?

December is finally here and with it comes the yearly race to be Christmas number one. It is every artist’s dream to clinch the coveted top spot on the 25th December, but who will join the likes of Band Aid, Slade, Mr Blobby and Bob the Builder in adding their name to the history books and topping the Yuletide charts? Join Sports.net for a run down of which act could top the official UK chart this Christmas.

How the Bookies See it

The Contenders

Ed Sheeran (ft. Beyonce) - It’s hard enough keeping Ed Sheeran from the top spot, but when he teams up with the multi-award winning Beyonce, that task looks nigh on impossible. Having already enjoyed worldwide success with his most recent album Divide, the Halifax-born heartthrob is now odds-on to secure the Christmas number one spot as he duets with Queen B on the lyrical masterpiece ‘Perfect’.

Wham!/George Michael - Following the untimely death of pop icon George Michael on Christmas Day last year, many were tipping ‘Last Christmas’ to soar to number one this year. However, the momentum behind this festive favourite may have dried up, with every festive compilation album featuring the 1984 hit, leaving no reason for many to download it. That said, the song may experience a surge as the big day approaches and online campaigns get behind it.

Mariah Carey - Originally released in 1994, Mariah Carey’s smash hit ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ is a perennial chart botherer and often boosts its already impressive sales figures around this time of year. However, despite being a favourite amongst young and old, the song has never clinched the coveted Christmas number one spot. Could this be about to change in 2017?

X Factor Winner 2017 (Rak-Su) - In the mid to late noughties, the X Factor winner was pretty much guaranteed top spot at Christmas as Simon Cowell’s televisual brainchild launched another Average Joe to stardom. That is no longer the case, but Rak-Su’s romp to victory on the latest series has proved just how popular the boyband are, and a real push ahead of the 25th could give this formidable four-piece a decent chance of success.

Sports.net's View

With the race for the Christmas number one spot as traditional as putting up the tree or cladding the house in tinsel and flashing lights, there are a whole host of acts who would dearly love to claim an accolade that would see them go down in history. Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie held on to the top spot last year, proving that the British public sometimes like a change from the usual festive ballads every now and again, but will the status quo be restored this year?

Wham! were the overwhelming favourites to clinch the Christmas number one spot, however, a surge of bets on Ed Sheeran and Beyonce’s collaboration has seen this tribute to the late George Michael lose its way, slipping back to 5/1 with Ladbrokes. Expect a tight race between the two singles, with the volume of online streaming playing a huge part in the destination of the title.

It is worth noting that some bookmakers are offering odds on Ed Sheeran clinching top spot this Christmas, while others are tipping the duet of Ed Sheeran and Beyonce to flourish over the festive period. Some bookies, including Ladbrokes, will pay out on "Ed Sheeran - Either Solo or Duet", however, it is worth clarifying what outcome will result in a payout before placing your bet.

Despite the dominance of Ed and Wham!, Mariah Carey and Rak-Su may provide late competition, meaning this could this be the tightest contest the music-loving British public have seen since Will Young edged out Gareth Gates in the first series of Pop Idol. Only time will tell, but it would be joyous to see Wham! finally ditch their ‘always a bridesmaid, never the bride’ tag and secure victory.

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